Honda RVF 750 RC45

Honda's RC30 was a tough act to follow. It had firmly established itself as one of the all-time great race bikes, and was also a favourite amongst discerning (and well-off) road riders. But by 1993 it had reached the end of its development as far as the increasingly competitive World Superbike Championship was concerned.  Honda still had the exotic works RVF750 race bikes - similar in basic design to the RC30, but representing development work worth millions of dollars. But now the World Endurance series and the Isle of Man TT were to be held under Superbike rules, and the RVF would no longer be eligible. 

Honda's answer was to base a new road bike on the RVF, specifically built to win at World Superbike level. Like the RC30, it would be a no-expense-spared, limited production model, and race kits would be available from day one.  It was called the RVF750R, but it's known everywhere by its factory code name - the RC45. 

Superficially, it was clearly closely related to the RC30, with its twin spar alloy frame, V-four engine,  single-sided swing arm - even a similar paint scheme. But not a single part is interchangeable between the two.  Superbike rules allow scope for changing engine internals, suspension parts, exhausts and wheels, but they don't allow a complete change of fuel system.

This was one of the main reasons the RC30 lost its competitive edge - its carburettors were simply no longer up to the job. With the RC45, Honda took the plunge and fitted an electronic fuel injection system. In terms of pure peak power there's probably little advantage in an injection system, but it simplifies the job of altering the fuelling characteristics to suit different atmospheric conditions or engine set-ups. Instead of dismantling a bank of carburettors to change the jets (notoriously difficult with a complex engine layout like the RC's), all a mechanic has to do is alter the settings on an easily-accessible control box.

Racers and road riders alike queued up to place their orders for the new bike - after all, the RC30 had been superb, so what would its replacement be like? Some road riders, in particular, were disappointed. On the road, the RC45 has no real advantage over the RC30. This is partly because the RC30 had already set such high standards: although the RC45 is faster, has better brakes and suspension and more low-down power, there simply isn't anywhere that an average rider can exploit its advantages. The RC45 operates on a plane of efficiency that doesn't mesh very well with speed limits, blind corners and traffic travelling 100 mph slower then the RC45 wants to go.  On the race track, too, the RC45 took a while to come good. It was quickly on the pace and running near the front in Superbikes, and was often fastest through the speed traps, but never seemed to translate that into a winning performance.

The Ducati 916 had a weight advantage over the Honda which gave it better acceleration out of corners. The ZXR750 Kawasaki had the benefit of several years' continuous development. The Honda had a handling problem - lack of traction out of corners. It was eventually traced to the rear suspension linkage,  which was quickly revised. Soon the RC45 started to notch up race success, with victory in the prestigious Suzuka Eight Hour race and its first World Superbike success in the hands of Aaron Slight at Albacete in Spain. The RC had already proved its reliability with two victories at the Le Mans 24-hour race, and had taken over from the factory RVF as king of the Mountain Course at the Isle of Man. But, two seasons into its Superbike career, it still can't match those damn Ducatis.

Source of review: Super Bikes  by Mac McDiarmid

Road Test 

It was just another day in the humdrum life of a hike tester: we were at Suzuka circuit, Japan and so far that afternoon I'd had a go on Doohan's orgasmic NSR500, Lawson's Eight Hour RVF750 and Okada's NSR250. Physically knackered and mentally fried alive, I was ready to crawl back to the hotel for a hot hath and brain death session of Japanese kid's TV when an HRC engineer rolled up the next door pit's shutter. Inside, a hunch of technicians were warming up another two bikes while factory riders I akeichi and Miyazaki Hexed and stretched their limbs, ready for battle.

These machines were HRC-kitted RC45 Superbikes  filthy expensive race versions of an already filthy expensive road bike, and Takcichi and Miyazaki were helping Honda prepare to blitz Ducati and Kawasaki in the 94 World Snperbike series. I wasn't down for a ride and, in Japan, if it's not on the schedule, it doesn't happen. But this time it did.") on can ten raps," said the HRC man which, roughly translated, means: "You can do ten laps". Then he pointed to the tyres and said, "Dunlops."

Dunlop slicks too, gooey and warmed by Miyazaki-San. All day if had been Michelin wets. Now, praise the Lord, it was dry. It felt like bunking oil' school after double economics: whuhaaay. let's go!

The RC45 is fast, I50bhp fast, and it rides /-more like Lawson's K\ I racer than a tricked-up road bike, which is just the way Honda planned it. With kit suspension and geometry it (licks into turns and fell stiff and horny compared with the softy stock RC'45 I'd ridden a couple of days earlier.

In a sense, the Superbike version is more important. Alter all, the RC45 only exists for one
purpose: to give Honda something to tune the fuck out of for this year's World Superbike  series. INo